Homecoming
by Senigata
Summary: Nibelheim died seven years ago, or so they thought. With the Call guiding them back to the town they thought they had left behind it was on them to breath life back into it. Sequel to A Call of Spring. Cover art provided by Marle Nadia.


**The long awaited sequel of the story that nobody asked for, but you still got: A Call of Spring. **

**Many thanks to Denebola_Leo for being my beta and pitching in on some parts of this fic to make it more rounded, you're awesome. And may the mountain always watch over you.**

**Also a shoutout to: ****SailorStarDust 1 and** **theClosetPoet7, who have both decided to join this little weird universe. Keep on rockin'**

* * *

**Homecoming**

Freedom. That was what she had felt when they left 7th Heaven earlier. Cloud too, like a burden had been lifted from both of their shoulders.

Everyone had been surprised when they told them that they would go on a month long trip for just the two of them; the children especially seemed to be disappointed. But when she told them that after everything that happened last year that they needed to spend some time to themselves as a couple, the others had been understanding, and it was Barret that immediately offered to look after the place, with Yuffie joining in to help him.

She felt bad for being deceptive about the true purpose of their little trip, but they wouldn't understand what they needed to do.

The mountain called, and they were answering. They were going home.

A shiver went up her spine as the cold sea breeze passed her by. Late February was chilly, doubly so as the ship came close to the North Continent. She couldn't wait for the more agreeable weather of their first destination.

Tifa pulled the sweater that she wore closer to her to warm herself up. She had taken to wearing long sleeves ever since it became difficult to hide their markings. The other day Vincent had spotted them, but thankfully she was able to deflect the issue by claiming it was just an allergic reaction. But that was the moment she knew a change of clothes had to be made, and not too early, as soon after the markings appeared on her arms.

She turned to look towards Cloud, who was conversing with another passenger about Fenrir, wearing a leather jacket that also managed to hide his markings. Soon their bodies would be covered, telling them it was time.

_Vermenigvuldingen,_ it echoed in her, and she wasn't sure if it were her own thoughts or the call of the mountain. Did it really matter, though? She wanted it.

Soon.

She could hardly wait. Cloud seemed to have noticed her staring and turned towards her, sending her a small, knowing smile that made her heat up and bite her lip. If only they could start now, but they had agreed that getting to Nibelheim was more important.

Besides, it would just make it all the more intense!

Taking a deep breath to calm herself a little, she walked over to Cloud and the man he was talking to.

"It really is a beautiful bike," the man said. "Must've cost a pretty gil to have it built."

"Mhm. The upgrades were the most expensive part. The roads aren't exactly safe, so I have a weapon compartment built into it," Cloud told the man.

"Am I interrupting?" Tifa asked as she joined them.

"Not at all," Cloud said.

"Your husband was just telling me more about this little beauty here." The man pointed at Fenrir.

"Oh, we're not married," Tifa said with a little grin, stepping closer to Cloud, who put an arm around her shoulders. It looked casual, but she knew his possessive side was bubbling to the surface again and he wanted to make it subtly clear who she belonged to. Teasingly she rubbed her hip against his, rubbing their markings together through their clothes. It dulled the sensation considerably but it was still there. "Not yet anyway."

"Oh?" the man cocked an eyebrow.

"We're getting married in a few days," Cloud said almost proudly and Tifa rested her head against him.

"Well, then congratulations are in order!" the man shook Cloud's free hand. "Going to be a big wedding?"

They both laughed a little. "No, just a small ceremony."

"Very traditional," Tifa added with a small twinkle in her eyes.

Yes, she could hardly wait!

By the time the ship docked at Costa del Sol it was dusk, so they decided that it would be best if they stayed the night. Luckily for them they still owned the little villa from their journey. Cloud sometimes used it when he was out doing deliveries in the area.

Since it was still early enough for the shops to still be open, Cloud and Tifa went to buy some supplies for the road, earning a few amused glances at their choice of attire in the usually warm, coastal town.

As they placed everything into the villa, Tifa felt a tingle in the back of her mind, something not unlike the scraping call of Niblrung, but more melodious in a way, and she found herself walking to the window to look out at the sea, stretching out towards the horizon as far as the eye could see.

It was a call.

"Tifa," she heard Cloud ask her, and she turned around to look at him. He had a quizzical look on his face. Couldn't he hear it?

"The beach," she simply said and walked over to the door. Cloud followed, and she saw his brow furrow in worry as he walked beside her. Reassuringly, she looped her arm through his and headed down to the beach.

The tingling turned into a melody as soon as they set foot on the sand, and as she followed the sound she heard a...voice?

Yes, it was a voice, singing to her in a way she couldn't understand, like tentacles coiling around her very soul to gently pull her forward. She stopped at the edge of the beach, where the singing was the clearest, and looked out towards the sea, letting go of Cloud's arm as she paced across the shoreline.

"What do you want?" she asked, hoping whatever called would answer her.

"Tifa?" Cloud asked her, worry now clear in his voice. "What's going on?"

"Don't you hear the singing?"

"What singing?"

Tifa whirled around towards him and felt her foot collide with something. Looking down she saw something sticking out of the wet sand, glowing in the dark to the tune of the voice. She knelt down to the ground and dug her fingers into it to pull it out. She washed the dirt off of it with seawater, and the singing finally stopped.

It was a seashell, one that she had never seen before; no, that was wrong. She had seen it, years ago…

"What's that?" Cloud asked as he stood beside her. She held out her hand towards him, the still glowing shell resting on her palm.

"An offering from the sea..." From the sea to the mountain.

They returned to the villa after that, not speaking another word of this. After dinner they went to bed and let the sounds of the waves carry them to sleep. This night Tifa didn't dream of Nibelheim, alive and well, filled with new people, protected by the mountain, but instead she dreamed of aeons past.

* * *

Over the next four days they traveled to Nibelheim, camping on the road or sleeping at inns whenever possible. Her eyes had been focused on Mt. Nibel ever since they had passed through the Cosmo Area only three hours earlier, towering over everything and everyone.

The arms that were circled around Cloud's waist tightened, as she pulled herself closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

Years ago, taking this road had filled her with anxiety; now it filled her with excitement of things to come.

They rode in silence. Everything that needed to be said had been said. In her pocket, the shell they had found in Costa del Sol was radiating a pleasant warmth ever since they had entered the Nibel Area.

It was an hour later that they passed the old town gate. Cloud parked Fenrir near the old well and they both got off the bike. Tifa found herself looking around as she walked a few steps, and she could tell that now the town was well and truly abandoned. Just like the vision that Niblrung had given her; the actors had not been up to the task, so the Old God had _convinced_ them to leave.

She took a deep breath of the mountain air, now free of the pollution the mako reactor had caused in the area. It was so strange. She never had experienced Nibelheim without the scent of mako in the air. Most of the time it had been faint, but when the reactor had started to malfunction it had gotten worse and worse by the day, causing some of the elderly to be bedridden.

Then the destruction came.

Tifa knew that this Nibelheim was just a sham, a copy, nothing more. It wasn't _their_ Nibelheim, filled with childhood memories both good and bad.

But they would make this Nibelheim theirs. A Nibelheim that was inhabited by people, and filled with the laughter of children.

She looked over to the abandoned tavern and smiled, forming her fingers into a little picture frame and holding them towards the building.

"You think travellers would appreciate another 7th Heaven here?" she asked Cloud.

"Mhm, I'm sure," he replied. She could already picture it, a place frequented by the new townsfolk, where travellers could rest their weary bodies with a hot meal and a good drink, and Denzel and Marlene being her little helpers, of course.

Yeah, she liked the idea. But before that, they would have to get this place up and running again. Maybe Reeve could lend them a hand?

But that was in the future, for now, they had to concentrate on the here and now.

"So, which one do you wanna take?" She asked with a playful tone.

"Hmm." Cloud looked around the abandoned houses until settling on what used to be her house. "I think your house has more room."

She looked at the building, and was flooded with old memories of her childhood together with her father, and much more distantly, her mother.

It was a home made to raise children with love. Yes it would do perfectly.

They entered the house and Tifa let her eyes roam over the interior; it looked just like it did two years ago. Dust was covering some of the furniture, since there was no one there to keep it clean ever since the actors living here had been driven away.

_Skritch skritch skritch_

The sound was coming from the kitchen. Cloud and her turned around as the sound came closer, scratching on the wooden floor beneath their feet. Hesitantly, a pair of curved horns, followed by a pair of black and amber eyes spied out of the doorway towards them.

A shiver went down her spine as it slowly stepped out of the kitchen, it's four hooved legs carrying it's body over to them. It was a nightmarish amalgamation of spider and goat, and Tifa could see a very human like intelligence reflected in those black and amber eyes as it stared at them, while its other eyes, like polished onyx lenses, blinked in a random rhythm.

A little helper from the mountain, a Dugafel.

Back when she was a kid they had only been hearsay, but now she was standing in front of one. The stories said they were friendly creatures that loved children.

Taking a deep breath, she knelt down in front of the creature, gingerly reached out her hand, and patted it on the head. She watched as its goat like ears flapped a little and a clicking sound escaped it.

"Here for a housewarming party?" Cloud quipped playfully as Tifa removed her hand.

The Dugafel clicked once more and rubbed its furry pedipalps together, its four hooved legs doing a bounce as it rubbed its chitinous, human-like hands.

It was kinda cute.

Turning towards the front door, it quickly left the building, its four legs granting it an incredible amount of speed. Cloud and her shared a look before following the Dugafel outside, where they saw it run around the town square and letting a sort of low pitched shout.

Soon after more of the little creatures, no taller than children themselves, appeared from the homes and made their way over to them, all of them rubbing their pedipalps eagerly, and somehow Tifa understood that these strange beings were happy to see them, the last of the original mountain folk. They chattered for a few moments before they all scurried off to who knows where.

"Well, that was interesting?" Cloud said with an amused look in his eyes and a little shrug.

"I wonder where they are going?" Tifa wondered out loud.

"They'll be around," he replied and headed back into the house.

Tifa gave the disappearing creatures one last look, then followed Cloud. They needed to clean up the place.

Thankfully, aside from some dusting they didn't need to do much, a blessing really, as they were exhausted from their travels. The electricity was out, so they would have to make do with the firewood that Cloud had found in the back.

"Found an old steam generator, too. I'll try to get it fixed up once everything's taken care of," he told her.

As it became evening, two of their little helpers returned to them, with meat and a pail of fresh goat milk. Tifa decided not to ask where they found it.

After all, the mountain provides.

Cooking dinner with such an old stove was a bit tricky, but she managed to make the meat edible enough for them to enjoy; she would get the hang of it later.

After dinner they went to bed in the room that would have been her parent's before everything. She had to admit, that after sharing a bed with Cloud for so long, the idea of separated beds felt downright antiquated. They would have to change quite a bit around here, but that was for later. For now they had to focus on tomorrow.

And as she drifted off, she had her first dreamless sleep for weeks. Niblrung was pleased they had returned, and was giving them their due rest.

* * *

They slept in the next day, to rest their bodies and minds for the day ahead. A rare treat, since back home they had to take care of a household with two children, who were plenty active in the morning themselves. But here, it was just them.

The part of Tifa that was always itching for activity had missed the hustle and bustle in the mornings. But soon, she would have a lot on her hands again.

It was late morning, after a hearty meal, when Cloud left the house, having his duty to fulfil before the ceremony, just as she had.

Before he left she kissed him goodbye. "Ek elska þik," she murmured against his lips.

An hour after he left, Tifa, too, left the house, pocketing the shell that they had found to offer Niblrung later, and headed towards the woods. Today was sunny and warm compared to the last few days.

Shortly after she had entered the woods, the already familiar sounds of their little helpers approached her from a distance, and it wasn't long before two of them appeared from between the trees.

"I guess you two will be my escort?" she asked with a friendly tone. The Dugafel rubbed their pedipalps and clicked in affirmation. Tifa let out a little chuckle. "Lead the way, then."

They clicked again and turned around on their four legs, guiding her to the old sacred spring. It was located in the center of the woods, hidden from the prying eyes of outsiders that might find themselves in the area. It didn't look like anything out of the ordinary, only as she knelt down and dipped her fingers into the water did she notice the subtle glow from it, and that it was unnaturally warm for this season.

Tradition demanded that any maiden that was to be wed needed to cleanse herself in the sacred spring. Well, she was hardly an innocent maiden anymore, but tradition was tradition.

As she was about to remove her clothes, she looked over her shoulder at the two little creatures standing there expectantly, chattering to one another. Tifa shrugged and started to undress. Not like the servants of their god would get anything out of staring at her naked.

She undressed and placed her clothes into a pile before slowly stepping in. It was deeper than she expected, the water going up to her hips once she stood in the center. Taking a deep breath, she dunked herself into a water for just a few moments before emerging again to start and clean herself properly.

The warmth of the water caused the markings that were now covering almost her entire body save for her face, hands and feet, to tingle pleasantly, and she could feel herself getting more and more excited.

After she had made sure she was thoroughly cleansed, Tifa stepped out of the spring. The Dugafel immediately went to dry her with tiny little silk cloths that they had spun while she was bathing. She had to hand it to them, they had very nimble hands, almost on par with a human's.

Once she was dry they stepped back to look at her. One of them clicked and laid its head to the side.

"Yeah, we're missing a gown, aren't we?" she asked, finding that understanding them was getting easier and easier since yesterday.

The other one turned towards its compatriot, clicked, then turned towards her and clicked again, rubbing its pedipalps together.

"That's a good idea. Let's do that!" it was mostly symbolic anyway.

The two Dugafel surrounded her and, after a moment, started to spin her into their silk webs until she was covered from neck to knee. After that their nimble little hands went to work, causing Tifa to laugh a little as their hands brushed over one of her ticklish spots, but once they were done she was dressed in a simple gown of spider silk.

With a smile Tifa knelt down, careful not to damage their handiwork, and patted them both on the head. "Thanks, you two."

The two creatures clicked happily, and one gathered her clothes, folding them neatly for her to wear later after the ceremony, while Tifa started to gather herbs and flowers from around the spring to make a garland out of that she would present Cloud with. Once she was done, she inspected her handiwork, then turned towards her escort.

"Time to meet my soon to be husband, wouldn't you say?"

The two Dugafel jumped a little in agreement.

They returned to town, and Tifa was reminded of that dream she has had so many times now, but there weren't any people wishing her well on this day, and none of their friends could ever know. It was a bit sad, but it was drowned out by the happiness she felt, because after today Cloud and her would finally be married. They would bring Marlene and Denzel here, have children of their own that the two kids could dote on, and just be a big happy family. The family that she had wished for from the very start.

The way up the mountain was uneventful, the monsters in the area having been chased away by the mountain's far older inhabitants on this day, and soon she found herself in front of the very cave from her dreams. She felt an all too familiar heat pooling in her belly, and the gown covering her naked body was starting to feel constricting as her nipples hardened against the soft silky webs. She wanted it gone.

Tifa looked at her two little companions one final time, smiling at their excited clicking, before entering the cave. The insides were covered in carvings of old; swirls, spiderweb patterns and old Nibelese runes that she couldn't fully make out. At the far end the old altar stood, and inside the wall, made out of stone and materia that bordered on red, the statue of their god. Part man, part spider, part goat: Niblrung.

And in front of that altar stood Cloud, dressed in only a pair of simple linen pants, his face covered in a mask made out of goat skin. It was a slightly disturbing sight for anyone that was not well versed in their customs, but to her it only filled Tifa even more with excitement, her eyes trailing the markings on his body as she stepped closer to him, in front of the altar, giving the statue a bow.

"_Of síðir_, Niblrung. We're here. As our _langfeðgar_ were before us!" Cloud called out to their god, as he slowly turned towards her. "I ask you, please accept this sacrifice so that we may receive your blessing!"

Something gleamed out of the corner of her eye, and in a flash a small dagger, carved out of stone, yet still incredibly sharp, was pressed to her bosom, resting right over where her heart was. Tifa looked Cloud in the eye through the mask, and her heartbeat quickened. If he so desired he could end her life right here and now and she would be completely powerless to do so. "With this knife the _mær _Tifa shall leave this world—"

In one smooth motion he slashed the knife downward, cutting the gown she was wearing so that her naked torso was revealed. A shuddering moan escaped her as Cloud grabbed both ends of the cut and proceeded to rip off the rest until she was completely naked before him. Her maidenhood had been completely cast off. "—to become a _fljóð_!"

Tifa swallowed hard as the need for Cloud coursed through her at this display of masculinity, the wetness between her legs now apparent. Her eyes wandered down between his legs, where she could see his erection straining against his pants, ready to be let loose. But she still had to do something.

Stepping forward, she unknotted the supple goatskin that fastened the hide to his head and back, then with both hands she pushed off the mask. It fell to the stony ground, pooling around his feet. He stared at her with now amber eyes, as she placed the garland around his neck. "With this offering of spring, I swear to be yours in body and soul, as did my _móðir_ before me. And with this knife—" she took the knife away from Cloud and put it under the waistband of his pants, cutting it so that it fell down and pooled around his feet, releasing him from his boyhood. "I will accept you as my _verr_, now and forever more."

Gently, they took each other's hand and turned towards the statue of Niblrung, awaiting his reaction with bated breath. It felt like an eternity, but it was only a moment later when Tifa felt a rumble of approval in the back of her mind, and the materia inside the statue started to glow. They looked at one another. Cloud had the biggest smile that she had ever seen on his face and she all but lunged at him, planting her lips on his in a deep kiss, a few tears of happiness running down her face.

They were finally married.

The kiss soon turned heated, her tongue invading his mouth, and he pulled her closer to rub their markings together. Moaning into the kiss, Tifa lifted a leg to circle it around him and press her against his erection, teasing his moist glans with the heat of her core. But Cloud had other ideas. He grabbed her leg and moved his other hand to the small of her back before shoving his cock into her waiting pussy.

Tifa tore her lips away from his and arched her back, a look of surprise and lust on her face at his sudden, but definitely wanted, intrusion. Using her new position to his advantage, Cloud instantly sucked one of her nipples into his mouth and started to move his hips, thrusting himself in and out of her. She moaned, staring at the ceiling and moving her hips to give him better access.

Their markings rubbed together, sensitive as ever after such a long time without such intimacy, giving way to gasped mewls and groaned out growls. It whipped them further into a feverish frenzy for more. More touching, more licking, more closeness. Niblrung's blessings were truly divine.

A little yelp escaped her as she felt her other leg being lifted from under her, and she gripped onto the back of his neck for dear life as he lifted her up with his amazing strength. She locked her legs behind him as he bounced her on his cock. Little stars appeared in front of her eyes and she felt herself starting to seize up as the first of what she knew would be many orgasms today rocked her body.

She mewled in lust as she came, digging her nails into the markings on the back of Cloud's neck, but much to her dismay he didn't come as well, instead holding her still as she convulsed around him, a groan rumbling from deep within him.

After a moment of pure lust, she found herself going slack in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder as she mumbled something into his ear she herself couldn't understand through her fogged up mind.

Cloud held her for a little while longer, his dick resting deep inside of her, filling her up so good, before he pulled himself out of her. Tifa whimpered at the feeling of loss, and she tried to push herself down on him again, but to no avail. He released his grip on her, placing her on her still wobbly legs, and looked deep into her eyes with those beautiful black and amber pools.

He took her shoulders and crashed his lips against hers for a passionate, yet short kiss, before he pushed her backwards none to gently and Tifa found herself sprawled on top of what she knew was the ritual birthstone. A shiver of excitement went through her body as Cloud roughly flipped her over, lifted one of her legs and drove his cock back inside her gushing hole.

Her eyes went wide, and she moaned loudly as he pounded into her still sensitive walls, sending sparks upon sparks of pleasure up her spine.

"Já!" she managed to say, pushing herself up with her hands so she could arch her back, to grant him access to her chest if he so desired, but instead of going after one of her bouncing mounds, he gave her ass a resounding slap that made her gasp at the mix of pain and pleasure. "Meir!"

And more he gave her, as he slapped her rear again, making Tifa squeal as she bit her lip, one of her hands cupping her breast and kneading it. He was such an _animal_ today, but whatever he gave she could more than take.

After one final slap his hand moved to her front and grabbed her by the chin to turn her head so he could look at her. Her eyes sought his and she stared deeply into his amber irises. With a little smirk on his lips he pushed his thumb past hers and Tifa instantly circled her tongue around it. Her moans became louder and she felt another orgasm approaching.

"Mmmmmh!" she moaned around his thumb as she came again, but Cloud didn't show any signs of slowing down while he ravaged her body, even as her walls clamped down hard on his cock. He pulled out his thumb from between her lips, and Tifa slumped back onto the birthstone.

Cloud fucked her like this for a bit more, until he seemingly grew tired of her just lying there and pulled himself out of her once more, to flip her onto her back. Giving Tifa no time to respond, he laid down on top of her, pressing his forehead against hers, and she circled her arms around his neck.

"Fuck me," she breathed out pleadingly, flicking her tongue over his lips. "Give me your child!"

His nostrils flared at her words and he plunged his dick back inside her, rocking both of their bodies as he thrust relentlessly into her.

"Já, já. Meir!" she all but screamed in ecstasy and Cloud was only too happy to oblige. Pulling him closer, she kissed him deeply, her little fangs nibbling on the sensitive flesh of his lips. Around them, the cavern was starting to heat up, the walls emitting an eerie glow as their coupling grew more and more frenzied.

Letting out short little gasps as she came closer and closer, Tifa's arms held on to Cloud tightly. She moved her face to settle at the crook of his shoulder, feeling him shudder and shake in short waves. He was missing something, something she could give him. Murmuring his name once, she plunged her fangs into his skin.

"Tifa!" Cloud gritted out and after a few more thrusts he blew his hot load deep inside her. The feeling of his orgasm drove her over the edge once again, and she called out his name in return as she came for the third time today. He kissed her deeply, pushing his hips forward a few more times to ride out his orgasm before pulling her into a sitting position. Tifa closed her eyes, a hum of contentment escaping her, and she absentmindedly played around with the hair on the back of his head. Slowly, Cloud removed himself from her, and Tifa clamped her legs shut, not wanting to waste any of the precious seed inside her. With a huge smile on his face he lifted her up bridal style and twirled her around a little, making her laugh.

"Ek elska þik," he said, and kissed her cheek, before setting her down near the statue of their god. Both bowed down in reverence, thanking him for his blessing, before turning around to leave. Outside, the Dugafel that had accompanied her were waiting, together with another pair, that must have been the ones that had accompanied Cloud, as one of them was holding his clothes. Thanking their little helpers, they started to get dressed.

Once Tifa had put on the little jacket that she wore, she noticed the heat radiating from deep inside her pocket and she remembered what had been asked of her.

"I'll be right back," she said to Cloud, giving him a little peck, and walked back into the cave and to Niblrung's altar. Silently, she knelt down in front, and pulled the sea shell out of her pocket, now almost hot to the touch and its glow intensified, then placed it on top of the altar. She watched as His statue lit up, and she knew that it was her cue to leave again.

Outside she gave Cloud a smile and took his hand. Hand in hand they walked down the mountain, accompanied by their little helpers, and if one would listen carefully they would hear something akin to two voices singing in harmony from inside the cave.

When they returned to Nibelheim they stopped in front of her old and new home, and she heard Cloud chuckle besides her.

"Hm?" she turned to look at him.

"Heh, I just realized," he said, looking at her with his mako tinted eyes, the corners of his lips raised into a smirk. "I'm the mayor now."

Tifa slapped her hand in front of her face. Of course he couldn't resist a dig at her late father. There had never been any love lost between the two of them, and she knew that if he was alive right now, he'd be having a stroke. She never understood why her father had taken such a huge dislike to him, even after they both had fallen down the mountain. Or perhaps...

She looked back up towards the mountain.

There was something that only Brian Lockhart knew at the time, something neither of them or any of the villagers had realized.

Her musings were interrupted by Cloud as he picked her up bridal style once again. Tifa giggled at the big smile on his face and kissed his cheek before resting her head against his chest.

"See you later!" she called out while waving towards where she knew the Dugafel were standing as Cloud carried her over the threshold, and if she looked, she could see the two that had accompanied her place their hands on each side of their pedipalps in a way a human would when they were excited.

Inside, Cloud carried her upstairs, but instead of carrying her into the main bedroom, they entered what would otherwise be her room.

"Why are we in here?" She asked after Cloud had put her down on the bed. Her answer came in the form of his hands working on the waistband of her pants and his mouth planting hot kisses that made her weak to her knees, along her neck.

"This should become our room. We're newlyweds, we shouldn't sleep in different beds. Let's give it to Denzel and Marlene instead," he said followed by a gentle bite that made her gasp a little, but she didn't push him away. "Besides, teenage me always wanted to fuck you in here."

"And the truth comes out," Tifa said with an amused tone as she let Cloud undress her. Truth be told, teenage her also had fantasies like that, of strong and manly SOLDIER Cloud sweeping in, to be her very own hero, before taking her to her bed and screwing the living daylights out of her.

So, she would be lying if she said this wasn't a huge turn on for her as well.

After he had undressed her, Cloud laid her down on the bed and proceeded to undress himself. Tifa let out a small laugh as he cursed to himself when the zipper of his pants didn't fully obey him and she moved her arm to push the two plushies off the bed, wondering just for a fraction of a second what possessed Shinra to replicate those. But it didn't matter, she could give them to their children later.

Once Cloud had fully undressed, Tifa opened her legs wide and placed her hands on both sides of her sex, spreading it open invitingly, a seductive smile on her lips. "Well come on in, I want more, too."

He absolutely didn't need to be told twice.

For the remainder of the day they stayed inside 'her' room, fucking in as many places as possible. The bed, the floor when they fell off in a heap, the desk, against the wall in front of the mirror, even the piano, creating a beautifully bizarre melody that echoed through the entire house.

She had never been happier.

* * *

Tifa awoke the next day, lying on top of the still sleeping Cloud, feeling happy and content. They had finally fallen asleep late that night, after Tifa had ridden him one last time on top of what was now their bed. She giggled a little. Oh, she would have to do so much laundry today.

Maybe next time they should do it outside?

No one else was living here yet and they had the rest of the month ahead of them. With a little grunt she forced herself to roll off Cloud and got out of bed. Might as well get a head start on that laundry.

While picking up their clothes, she looked into the mirror and noticed that something on her body had changed slightly. Her eyes widened as she noticed the new, spidery pattern on her lower body, just above where her womb rested. She dropped what she was holding as she started to tremble, and an excited squeal escaped her. All but running towards Cloud, she grabbed his shoulders while completely ignoring the two little pin pricks marking one of them and shook him.

"Wake up!" she said excitedly as he released a groan.

"Five more minutes..." he muttered half asleep and turned away from her to face the wall. She blinked at his reaction, staring at another pair of bite marks on his back. With another giggle Tifa climbed onto the bed, shaking him some more as she leaned above him, but he seemed adamant to stay asleep.

Puffing her cheeks, but more playful than annoyed, she leaned close to his ear and whispered the magic words: "I'm pregnant."

That did the trick, as he instantly became fully awake, turned around and grabbed her by the shoulders as he sat up. "Really!?"

"Mhm." She nodded and took one of his hands and guided it to the marks above her womb, a brilliant smile on her face the entire time. His eyes became wide for a moment, before his own lips curled up into a huge smile.

"Tifa!" he exclaimed and hugged her to him. She gave him a peck on the lips. They truly were being blessed. Oh, how she wished the kids were here.

The two of them basked in the feeling of their parenthood, until a loud growl from her stomach disturbed the peace. Her face flushed red, and she averted her eyes from Cloud.

"Guess I'm a little hungry," she mumbled.

Cloud just chuckled. "I bet."

After they got themselves cleaned up, they put on a fresh set of clothes and headed downstairs. On the stairs, they could already hear the chattering clicking from within the kitchen, so it was no surprise to see two Dugafel waiting for them inside.

She didn't know why, they all looked so alike, but she could tell those were the two that had accompanied her yesterday.

"Mornin'," Cloud said in greeting and the two creatures clicked in unison to greet him back.

One of them immediately moved closer to Tifa and placed its hand on top of where her new markings sat, pedipalps rubbing together excitedly.

"So you knew before us?" she asked with an amused smile. "That's rather convenient."

It clicked again and Tifa was slightly taken aback. _Assigned as guardians of the child?_

"Looks like you got yourself some handmaidens," Cloud quipped from the side, as he took the meat the other held out for him.

Tifa let out a huff, yet still smiled. Not like she could do anything about it now. Their god had chosen. "Then, I'm grateful for your help."

During their late breakfast it was getting clear that the meat the Dugafel were providing them would not be enough, as her appetite had already increased.

Cloud looked on in astonishment and amusement as she wolfed down her food, his own empty plate shoved to the side.

Finally finished with eating, she leaned back in her seat, holding her stomach with a content smile on her face.

"Huh," Cloud chuckled and started to get up from his seat. "Guess I'll go hunting later."

"Sorry. I'm just so hungry," she said a little sheepishly.

"Don't be," Cloud replied with a smile, kissing her cheek as he passed her by. "It means our little one is growing. Besides, I'll have some help, so it should be no problem. The mountain provides."

Indeed it did.

Giving her another kiss he left to check on the rest of the town. She could tell that he was already enjoying his new duties as a husband, and the smile on his lips warmed her heart every time she saw it.

Tifa remained seated for a little while longer before rising to her feet as well and turning to her newly assigned help. "I was thinking of doing some laundry. Wanna lend a hand?"

They both raised their hands and did a little jump.

* * *

Over the following week her belly grew considerably, and Tifa couldn't have felt any happier as the fruit of her and Cloud's love was growing inside her.

Cloud, too, was smiling more and more, and each day he was more than happy to get her whatever she needed.

Of course being pregnant didn't stop him from wanting her; in fact it only made him want her more, especially since her breasts had swelled to produce milk for her little one. Only yesterday she chastised him, saying that the milk was for the baby, not him.

"Baby's not here yet," he responded dryly as he had entered her.

But she would be lying if she said she didn't want him as well.

She was currently in the kitchen, preparing dinner while her little helpers were doing something else in the house. Cloud would return soon, and he should have a hearty meal waiting for him. Absentmindedly, her hand went to her swollen belly where their baby was resting.

_Only a few more hours,_ Tifa thought. The birth would be at night, and she could already feel the baby move a little inside her in preparation. _I can hardly wait to meet you._

She had thought long and hard about a name for it if the baby was a girl. If it was a boy, she knew Cloud would insist on naming him Zack, and she couldn't say no to that. But if their baby was a girl then she had the perfect name for her.

The opening of the front door told her that Cloud had returned, and she turned just in time for him to enter the kitchen, dressed in a bit more practical clothing for the mountain area.

"Hey," she greeted him as he walked up to her and gave her a kiss.

"Everything alright?" he asked, his hand going to her belly, and she chuckled.

"You know everything is alright," she said and placed her hand on top of his. "Ready for tonight?"

"Yeah." he nodded and leaned his forehead against hers. "I should be afraid. This is different than taking care of Marlene and Denzel, but I'm feeling calmer than I ever had before."

With a smile, Tifa planted another kiss on his lips. "Why don't you go freshen up while I finish dinner? We got a busy evening ahead of us."

"Mhm." Cloud nodded with a smile and headed upstairs. As she turned back to her cooking she could hear him greet their little helpers.

Dinner consisted, of course, mostly of meat. It wasn't exactly to her liking to pretty much eat the same thing every day, but they didn't have much choice, since there was no other livestock or crops around, and the supplies they had taken with them they seldom used. Maybe once they settled here they could work on that.

After dinner they talked about this or that until they knew that the time had come.

It was dark out, but thankfully it was a clear night, so the stars and the moon were lighting their way as they traveled up the mountain. Halfway to the cave her water broke, but she was wearing a simple dress so that was less of a problem for her. By her side were the two Dugafel, chattering excitedly to each other. _You'd think they were the ones giving birth,_ she chuckled.

Around them she could make out the clicking of more Dugafel as they moved closer to the cave, to keep guard for any prying eyes or monster that might stalk this way.

Inside the cave Cloud helped undress her, and she laid down on the birthstone that Cloud had fucked her on just a week ago, her eyes turned to His statue, and she noted with some surprise that the seashell was gone. But she supposed that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that she was about to give birth under the watchful eye of Niblrung.

As it was a blessed pregnancy she didn't feel any pain, but it was still a strenuous activity. Thankfully, she knew the sacred chant by heart now to make it easier, and she watched Cloud undress himself as she started to mumble the words in old Nibelese.

She watched him move between her legs and settled to sit up on her elbows, then started to push. Joy coursed through her as she saw Cloud smile and give her an encouraging nod. Their baby would soon be here.

Around them the cave started to give off that eerie glow again as she pushed again and again.

"Nearly there," Cloud told her and picked up the towel that they had taken with them. "Just a bit more."

Tifa grunted and pushed one final time, and with a sickening sound, that right now sounded beautiful to her ears, she could feel the baby slide out of her and into the towel.

A slight feeling of loss overcame her as the cord was tied off and was cut with the same dagger that took her maidenhood, separating her from the life that had grown inside her, but it was replaced by pure happiness as Cloud looked at her with a bright smile, while the baby let out a little cry.

"It's a girl," he said, and Tifa matched his smile, wiping some sweat off her brow as he held the bundle out towards her. A girl. Gently, she took her and held her close.

"Hey there," Tifa cooed, then closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as her body rapidly recovered due to His blessing. Faster than any other woman, she was able to stand again and carried their little girl towards the altar, placing her upon it.

"Niblrung, it's a girl," she said and her voice wavered a little as tears of happiness spilled out of her eyes. "Her name is Stella."

Stella. Their little star.

Like the stars that had watched the promise that had always been the most important thing in their lives. Yes; it was a fitting name.

The materia started to glow and a rumble of approval went through both of their minds. He was pleased. But they were still not done.

Vermenigvuldingen was not yet done. The cycle had to be repeated three more times.

Gently she took Stella, who had fallen asleep, from the altar and knelt down to show her to the two Dugafel that had helped her through the week. They clicked in delight.

"Watch her for a bit, OK?" she asked and handed it to one of them. With utmost care, that she never thought such a creature could display a week ago, it took little Stella and rubbed its pedipalps together, before gently nuzzling the side of the babies head.

With a smile she watched them leave the cave and rose back up, only to find herself immediately in Cloud's embrace, her body already heating up in want at the closeness of their bodies. She turned around in his embrace and captured his lips in a heated kiss.

They repeated the cycle, a bit more subdued than last time as they didn't have a near week of abstinence preceding it, but it was still intense.

After the act was done, they left the cave where the Dugafel and Stella were waiting for them. Tifa took the baby from them and they all headed down the mountain together.

Back home Cloud and Tifa headed up the stairs, while the two creatures remained downstairs to leave the new family in peace for a while. Inside their new bedroom they sat down on the bed and watched Stella as she slept.

"We're gonna need a crib," Cloud said, looking at the life they created in amazement.

"Don't worry," Tifa replied and managed to tear her eyes away from their daughter long enough to look at Cloud. "The mountain provides, doesn't it?"

"Heh," Cloud chuckled. "It does."

* * *

A week later Tifa rubbed her belly as she watched little Stella move around in the 'crib' that the two Dugafel that were her children's guardians had provided.

"Your little brother or sister will be born today," she told her little girl as she brushed a finger over the fine, dark hair that was starting to grow on the baby's head. The day after her birth she had found herself pregnant again. "You'll be having lots of siblings. Two older than you, actually. Just wait until Marlene and Denzel dote on you."

Stella smiled a toothless smile and babbled something as if she could truly understand what Tifa had just told her.

"Oh shoot, I need to start working on lunch!" Tifa exclaimed as she noticed the time. Little Stella laughed. "Yeah laugh it up ya little rascal. You just had your lunch, after all."

She turned to the Dugafel standing next to her and smiled. "Keep her company."

The little creature rubbed its pedipalps together and did a happy little jump at the prospect of spending time with the baby. Its companion was somewhere out and about gathering some goat milk.

Downstairs Tifa headed into the kitchen, smoothing out the pretty conservative dress that she had found in one of the dressers in town.

Using the coal to start a fire in the stove she started to work on lunch, moving busily around the kitchen.

All of a sudden she stilled, as she heard a whisper carried by the winds.

_Intruders..._

Tifa headed towards the front door and stepped outside, looking out into the distance, but there was no one in sight yet.

Someone was traveling towards town. Tifa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was spring, and the mountain pass was free of snow; of course there would be travelers passing through the area.

_Yeah, it's just travelers, _she told herself and returned back into the house. Nothing to worry about.

In the meantime, a few miles away from Nibelheim, two figures made their way towards the abandoned mountain village, one dressed in a cloak of deep crimson, the other walking on all fours, its flaming tail swishing left and right, both following their very own, yet quite different, call of the mountain.

* * *

**I have to say writing the Cloti side of things from Call of the Mountain in this and A Call of Spring has been way too much fun. Let's see what the future has in store.**

**Read and Review.**


End file.
